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I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: putting a baby’s room together is incredibly therapeutic for me. I had a rough summer last year (physically and emotionally) and this space slowly became my refuge during that time. Anytime I felt sick or sad or depressed or anxious, I’d go in here and spend an hour doing whatever needed to be done to start making it beautiful. Sometimes I listened to music or a podcast; other times I worked quietly with just my thoughts to keep me company. Either way, every minute spent transforming this room was a minute spent making room for her (physically and emotionally).

I know someday she might have posters of boys plastered everywhere (see: me, 12 years old, Leonardo DiCaprio’s face covering my closet doors top to bottom), but for now, for today—this room is partly for me, her mother, and I loved the creative process of putting it together. So much of my creativity these days exists in my head … in swirling words and big ideas that may or may not ever come to fruition. Sometimes I forget how good it feels to work on a long-term project with your hands, and have the before and after pictures to show for it.

You wouldn’t know by these photos, but the room we started with contained pink wall paneling, dirty carpet, moldy ceiling tiles, and (of course!) ugly wallpaper in the closet. Needless to say, it took a small village to finish this makeover.

Special thank you to:

-Brett (who stripped wallpaper, painted the room + closet + ceiling, put furniture together, hung all the things)-Our friend Joe (who made my dream closet a reality with one trip to Home Depot)-My BFF Lauren (who looked at my Pinterest board and without batting an eyelash said, “We can make that!”)-My mother-in-law (who helped paint this room and gifted us the crib + half my baby registry, including lots of the pretty things you see here)

Ashlee Gadd is a wife, mother, writer and photographer from Sacramento, California. When she’s not dancing in the kitchen with her two boys, Ashlee loves curling up with a good book, lounging in the sunshine, and making friends on the Internet. She loves writing about everything from motherhood and marriage to friendship and faith.

Hello from postpartum hibernation headquarters! We are currently living our best life—sleeping all day (her), rarely checking e-mail (me), and eating on demand (both of us). Popping in today to share a few of my postpartum faves … some old, some new.

The haakaa breast pump. Friends, I do not know how I ever breastfed without this thing. My friend Katie got it for me and I had never heard of it until then. You attach it to your other side while nursing and it slowly draws out milk during letdown. No more wasted milk soaking up nursing pads! It literally sticks to your boob via suction; you don’t have to hold it or anything. I’ve been getting 1-2 oz per feeding and already have a massive supply in the freezer JUST FROM THIS CONTRAPTION. My regular pump, with all the wires and parts, is sitting in my closet. Amazing.

Nursing nightgowns. I was super engorged when I came home from the hospital and could not even handle wearing nursing bras. My nursing nightgowns are a little bit looser and generally more comfortable. I have this one (in black), this one (in rose), and an older (grey) version of this one. I’ve also been loving this black 24/7 dress from Milkmaid Goods (a hand-me-down from my friend Christina). It’s technically a dress but I’ve made a habit of wearing it to bed. Sometimes I strip Presley down to a diaper and tuck her inside for skin-to-skin time—or ‘nightgown napping’ as I call it.

Bible App reading plans. Like everyone and their mom, I am trying to scroll less on social media. My biggest temptation to do this occurs while breastfeeding, so I’ve been signing up for different reading plans in the Bible app to give myself something else to read while I nurse. Starting with the She is Free study.

Lactation energy bites. I added a sprinkle of cinnamon and two tablespoons of Trader Joe’s Super Seed & Ancient Grain Blend to this recipe and HOLY YUM. I let Brett try one but reminded him they are for lactating which is code word for stay-the-heck-away-from-my-snacks.

Belly wrap. I had a cheapo belly wrap after Everett (that I loved) and an expensive belly bandit after Carson (that I hated). I got rid of both but opted to get another cheap one this time around. Experts say you should wear this 10-12 hours a day and I wear mine about … one hour a day. I usually throw it on when I’m doing stuff around the house to keep everything in place and maintain good posture. Not sure if it’s going to help “shrink my abdomen” as promised, but it feels good when I’m wearing it.

Healthy Human water bottle. This thing is gigantic and keeps ice cold for 24 hours. I brought it to the hospital and have been using it every day to stay hydrated while nursing. Also love that it comes with a stainless steel straw (and a little brush to keep it clean!). I have the 32 oz bottle in Harvest Maple.

Any other postpartum faves I should know about? Always on the hunt for good lactation recipes + nursing-friendly clothes!

Ashlee Gadd is a wife, mother, writer and photographer from Sacramento, California. When she’s not dancing in the kitchen with her two boys, Ashlee loves curling up with a good book, lounging in the sunshine, and making friends on the Internet. She loves writing about everything from motherhood and marriage to friendship and faith.

“Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit here in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be.” – Carrie Fisher

Spoiler alert: Presley Joy is already here (!). I’m still working on her birth story but my talented friend Lee took these pictures for us a few weeks ago and I wanted to share some of my favorites. I found out I was pregnant shortly after we moved into this house, and it meant so much to me to do these photos at home.

Ashlee Gadd is a wife, mother, writer and photographer from Sacramento, California. When she’s not dancing in the kitchen with her two boys, Ashlee loves curling up with a good book, lounging in the sunshine, and making friends on the Internet. She loves writing about everything from motherhood and marriage to friendship and faith.

Christmas morning was slow and lazy, just the way we like it. The highlights: first Christmas in our new home felt extra special, Everett running to hug me while screaming “thank you!!!” upon opening his Iron Man lego set (I’m not crying; you’re crying), watching Elf for the 800th time while Brett made breakfast, Grandma arriving with a tin of her signature chocolate fudge, my mom’s homemade lasagna (people feeding me seems to be a theme here?), the kids putting on a mini talent show, and of course, the night ending with me in our new bathtub eating cookies and reading my new book.

Pairs well with Grandma’s chocolate fudge, a favorite mag, bubbly water, a candle, and this bubble bath. Exact tray I have is sold out, but this one looks the same.

And,

2. This pajama jacket. (<— is now sold out at Nordstrom after it went on mega sale! womp womp. full price version here)

I have worn this every day since Christmas Eve, and not with pajamas. I’m wearing it with leggings and jeans and jumpsuits and dresses. It goes with everything. Best gift ever. Between this and my slipper mules, I feel like I have mastered the art of getting dressed without getting dressed, just in time for these final weeks of pregnancy.

Ashlee Gadd is a wife, mother, writer and photographer from Sacramento, California. When she’s not dancing in the kitchen with her two boys, Ashlee loves curling up with a good book, lounging in the sunshine, and making friends on the Internet. She loves writing about everything from motherhood and marriage to friendship and faith.

My mother-in-law is taking the kiddos Thursday-Saturday (hallelujah!) and Brett doesn’t have Friday off, which means I’ll be spending the majority of the day online Christmas shopping in my pajamas. Tell me I’m not the only one? As a self-proclaimed excellent gift giver, I am also a sucker for a good gift guide. Here are a few things on our family wishlist this year! What’s on yours?

Ashlee Gadd is a wife, mother, writer and photographer from Sacramento, California. When she’s not dancing in the kitchen with her two boys, Ashlee loves curling up with a good book, lounging in the sunshine, and making friends on the Internet. She loves writing about everything from motherhood and marriage to friendship and faith.

I can’t even remember how this came to be, other than I think (?) it started as a joke, and then a few weeks later I was booking a Southwest flight and searching for maternity cactus pajamas on ASOS.com.

April and I ventured to Palm Springs, which is sort of becoming “our place” since the only two occasions we’ve met in real life have happened there. We booked a pink hotel and a couple of facials, drank mocktails by the pool, wore our cactus pajamas in public (accidentally), and ate a lot of delicious food (corndog lollipops anyone?).

On the way to the airport we stopped to snap photos in a succulent nursery like pregnant hipsters.

Moral of the story: babymooning with a pregnant girlfriend = five out of five stars. Let’s make this a thing!

Also, can we please talk about this suitcase for a minute?

I have been lusting after Away luggage for probably two whole years, but it felt like a lame thing to spend money on. Kind of like buying a new mattress. It’s just so … adultish. But—similar to purchasing a new mattress—once you fork over the money and get the New Awesome Adult Thing in your possession, you wonder why on earth you didn’t make this purchase sooner.

That is how I feel about my new (yes, pink) suitcase. I have been rocking the same black carry-on for twelve years, originally gifted to me from my parents, originally purchased at Costco. And while there’s nothing wrong with the suitcase per se, again, I liken it to sleeping on the same mattress for twelve years (which, come to think of it, we have been! yikes). At some point, it’s time for an upgrade.

April dropped me off at the airport 45 minutes before my flight was scheduled to take off. We didn’t mean to cut it so close, but we stopped for milkshakes and truthfully I have no regrets.

I usually plan to get to the airport an hour before my flight because I like to live dangerously. (Brett prefers to get there with four hours to spare. It’s a miracle we’ve stayed married this long.) Even for me, 45 minutes seemed a little tight, but not impossible. Plus, I was carrying on—security would be a breeze, right?

Wrong. My suitcase got yanked for further inspection.

“Is this going to take long?” I asked the security guard, glancing at the time on my phone. “My flight is leaving in 15 minutes and I think they’re already boarding.”

“Not at all,” she assured me.

I then watched her remove my bag of toiletries, tsk tsking me because I didn’t have my 3 oz items in a quart-sized plastic bag. She methodically lined up every single item on the counter, while a couple of 7-foot-tall professional basketball players standing behind me watched in amusement. Hair spray. Shaving cream. Dry shampoo. Body wash. Moisturizer. On and on.

Once she had everything arranged in a perfect line, she handed me a plastic bag and told me whatever didn’t fit in the bag had to be thrown away. I tried very hard not to roll my eyes. With the exception of my moisturizer, everything else had been purchased in the $3 travel bin from Target. I filled up the bag and tossed the shaving cream, the only item that didn’t fit.

“Some airports don’t care about the quart-sized bag rule, but this one does,” she said with a condescending smile.

Noted.

I zipped my suitcase back up and started toward the gate, just in time to hear my name being called over the loudspeaker.

“This is the final boarding call for Southwest flight 2688. We are still looking for Ashlee God.”

Ashlee God, lol.

Cut to me running, straight up Home Alone style, one hand holding my maxi dress off the floor and the other on my pink suitcase. This is where the real testimonial comes in, because that thing glides like ice skates on a fresh rink. I was the last person to board the plane, huffing and puffing, and had to do the walk of shame down the aisle for my much deserved place: a middle seat in the back of the plane. Good times.

Anyway. The moral of this story: Away luggage is awesome, and I’m not exaggerating when I say I believe my suitcase may have been the reason I didn’t miss my flight. They literally closed the door to the plane seconds after I stepped on, and I would not have been able to run that fast with my 12-year-old Costco suitcase in tow.

Should you also find yourself in need of some new luggage, you can use this link to get $20 off your purchase. This post is not sponsored whatsoever (I paid full price with my own money!), but if you click through and make a purchase, I get a $20 credit. Brett thanks you in advance for helping us buy him one. His old Costco suitcase is looking extra sad next to mine.

The end. Happy babymoonin’, mommas.

And whatever you do—don’t forget to put your toiletries in a quart-size plastic bag.

Ashlee Gadd is a wife, mother, writer and photographer from Sacramento, California. When she’s not dancing in the kitchen with her two boys, Ashlee loves curling up with a good book, lounging in the sunshine, and making friends on the Internet. She loves writing about everything from motherhood and marriage to friendship and faith.

I’ve officially reached the stage of pregnancy where I can no longer put on my own socks without grunting and getting out of bed in the morning is starting to resemble this. Last week I found a melted piece of chocolate in my bra, and today I spilled half a coffee all over my sweater, my shoes, and aisle 7 of my local Target. Cute.

I am still attempting to get dressed in real clothes a few times a week, counting down till Christmas at this point because come January 1, you’ll find me exclusively in black sweatpants until this baby comes. Most likely paired with this sweatshirt.

I digress! Here are a few things I’m loving at 27 weeks pregnant:

// Wardrobe //

Remember that one time i spilled coffee all over myself in the middle of target? Me too.

These Blanqi maternity leggings are officially on sale and YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY GET SOME. I bought these one whole year ago before I was even pregnant and I am so glad I did. They put all my other maternity leggings to shame. Yes, really.

This bralette. Apologies for the TMI, but I woke up two weeks ago and NONE of my bras fit. Cue: me running to Target on a Wednesday night and grabbing every bralette off the racks. I probably need to buy some new real bras eventually (or, to be more efficient, new nursing bras!), but for the time being, I am living in this. Also tried this one on for fun and didn’t end up buying it but wish I would have. Walked out with this lounge bra as well (the back is so cute!).

Speaking of boobs, I’m trying not to buy any tops right now that aren’t nursing-friendly. Picked up this cute button down from Zara in a bigger size and I give it five stars. Fits the belly for now; will work for breastfeeding later.

These are not maternity, but I tried them on in the store and they were so stretchy, I figured I could wear them under my belly with a sweater and make it work. The metallic thread detail creates a glittery effect, perfect for the holidays!

This is also not maternity, but I bought a size large and love the fit so much. This is the sweater I was wearing when I spilled coffee all over myself (pictured above) and I am pleased to announce the stain came out, hallelujah. Looks like the tan color is mostly sold out but it’s still available in black!

Fully expecting some of my hair to fall out postpartum (good times!), so in the meantime I’m making an effort to enjoy these pregnancy-infused locks of mine while I still have them. I bought these clips off Amazon and they make me feel v. fancy.

// Exercise + Health //

I am typically a vinyasa-or-bust type of gal, but I went to a slow hatha yin class this week and it was surprisingly good. We used a ton of props and I didn’t struggle through the class the same way I’ve been huffing and puffing through recent vinyasa flows. Moral of the story: yin yoga is kind of awesome and I had no idea because I had always stereotyped it “lazy yoga” in my mind. (Fellow enneagram nerds know a type 3 would never go to lazy yoga if they could help it.)

I am terrible at drinking water, but Brett started filling up my water bottle every night and it’s making a huge difference. He set an alarm on his phone and everything. #husbandoftheyear

// Nesting //

I know. It’s my third baby. I still made a registry. Can’t help myself. Babylist is my favorite registry and I’ve used them for all three of my kiddos. You can add stuff from any store, including Etsy, and you can also register for super useful things like housecleaning, meals, etc.

My BFF Lauren is coming to town next weekend to help me make something like this and this. The last time she came to Sacramento, I was 34 weeks pregnant with Carson and she spent the weekend making things for his room while I ate cheese and watched. Not sure if anything will be different this time around. I’m a big fan of staying in my lane, and my lane is certainly not crafting. Although when I was in her neck of the woods over the summer I managed to snap a few photos of her sweet family, so I’m not a totally useless friend, in case you were wondering.

I discovered Kayla’s work on Instagram and have been a tad obsessed with her ever since. On my nursery wishlist: one of her paintings!

My friend Lee is taking maternity pictures for us in a couple weeks and this time around, we’re going to do a simple session at home. I did both of my other maternity sessions outdoors in maxi dresses, and wanted to change things up this time around. Plus, I somehow went through two whole pregnancies without any photos of my bare belly, and I really want to make sure I get at least one because this is most likely going to be my last pregnancy (!). Snapping iphone pics in the meantime, and pinning inspiration here.

I’ve hardly written a dang thing this pregnancy, but I’m over at Coffee + Crumbs today talking about age gaps and growing our family and that feeling you get when you wear a sweater for the first time in the fall.

Pregnant mommas, whatcha lovin’ these days?

ALSO, question for nursing moms (it’s been a while!) — do you have any nursing bras/tanks you love? I want to get a few things before February and would love some recommendations! I didn’t keep much from the first two times because both my kids spit up every five minutes and all my bras and tanks were gross by the time I finished nursing. Help a sister out!

Ashlee Gadd is a wife, mother, writer and photographer from Sacramento, California. When she’s not dancing in the kitchen with her two boys, Ashlee loves curling up with a good book, lounging in the sunshine, and making friends on the Internet. She loves writing about everything from motherhood and marriage to friendship and faith.

Heads up: this is not a sponsored post. I tried this service on my own dime, and the following is my 100% honest review.

Has this ever happened to you: after mentioning something in passing exactly one time, you suddenly become known for that thing?

A few months ago I casually mentioned on an episode of The Coffee + Crumbs podcast that I am a terrible meal planner and love eating cereal for dinner. Since that episode aired, I have been tagged in approximately 40 cereal-themed memes on Instagram. I didn’t intend to become the spokesperson for eating cereal for dinner, but here we are!

And really, it’s fine. Cereal is delicious and I am not ashamed.

However. Being pregnant and regularly hangry, I have to admit I feel a lot better when I eat a “real” meal at the end of the day. You know, one with protein and possibly a vegetable.

For the past 11 years, Brett and I have mildly struggled with dinnertime in our home. By that I mean: neither one of us really enjoys cooking. Therefore, dinner rotation in the Gadd house can be summed up by 1) a few regular recipes (spaghetti, chicken tacos, stir fry), 2) takeout, and 3) cereal. That’s it. You will rarely find us eating outside those parameters. I have an entire Pinterest board full of recipes I will probably never make.

And the truth is—I don’t like this about us. I’m not proud of the fact that we suck at making dinner. I think somewhere along the line, we both thought the other person would take an interest in cooking, and then neither one of us did. So here we are, 11 years later. Still eating cereal at 6:30pm because what else is even in the fridge?

I was thinking about this recently, trying to answer the question: what exactly is it about preparing dinner that feels so hard to me?

Is it the meal planning? Is it the grocery shopping?Is it the meal prep?Is it the actual cooking?Is it the dishes?

After giving it some thoughtful consideration, I had an epiphany.

It isn’t any one thing; it’s the whole thing.

I don’t mind sitting down to meal plan. I am more than capable of writing dinner ideas on a cute weekly calendar. I actually love grocery shopping, especially when I go by myself. Meal prep and cooking? Give me a good podcast or a playlist and I don’t mind that either. Dishes … okay you lost me there.

But this was an important realization! I realized I don’t hate any of the individual steps that make up the art of cooking dinner for my family, but for some reason when I combine them all, I get super overwhelmed.

I equate it to trying to clean your entire house in thirty minutes. Putting dishes in the dishwasher? Not a problem on its own. Cleaning the bathroom? Easy enough on a Wednesday. Folding that mountain of laundry on the bed? Sure thing. Picking legos out of the rug? I can practically do that with my feet. But when you combine ALL of those things, suddenly you’re running around the house like a chicken with its head cut off, sweating and cursing at the legos.

That’s how I feel about cooking dinner on a regular basis: it’s a constant perfect storm.

Too many things need to be done (the planning! the shopping! the defrosting! the measuring! the chopping! the cooking! the cleanup!). I know I’m an adult and I should be able to handle all of those steps, but I am also a mom to two young children, and pregnant with a third, and I run my own business, and, well, most days I’m just really really really tired by 5pm when everyone is hungry.

I mean, can you blame me for reaching for a box of cereal most nights? One bowl, one spoon, bam, done.

So a few weeks ago, my sister-in-law tells me about Hello Fresh, a company who will send you everything you need to cook a meal straight to your doorstep.

[Worth noting: I have tried Blue Apron in the past and while the food was delicious (seriously, it was!), I also found the recipes to be cumbersome and time-consuming. Remember: spaghetti is the meal to beat here. Simple is the name of my kitchen game.]

My SIL assured me even I could handle a Hello Fresh recipe, so I decided to give it a whirl. And friends, I am here to report: Hello Fresh is kind of awesome. That perfect storm I mentioned? There is none.

I don’t have to think about what is for dinner (they do). I don’t have to think about what to buy at the store (they send me the ingredients). I don’t have to remember where the recipe is (they send me the recipe cards). I don’t have to calculate how much I need of anything (everything is pre-measured/pre-portioned).I don’t have to waste any food (we eat it all!).

Basically: I don’t have to use any brain space on dinner, which is perhaps the greatest gift of all. At 5pm, I pull a brown paper bag out of the fridge, dump the contents on the counter, read the recipe card, and follow the directions. It is MINDLESS. Most of the meals have taken me about 30 minutes to make, which is enough time to listen to a podcast.

But, wait! There’s more!

Brett and I have a strict rule: whoever cooks dinner doesn’t have to do the dishes. So, to recap: I don’t have to make a meal plan, I don’t have to wander around the grocery store looking for obscure ingredients, I don’t have to print any recipes, and at the end of the meal—I don’t have to do any dishes.

DING DING DING. I think I have finally found a system that works for us.

Seriously though: our first week using Hello Fresh we ate five homecooked meals at home, and NONE WERE CEREAL. Three were from our Hello Fresh box, and two were staple meals I typically make. We ate way more vegetables than usual, I cooked with ingredients I had NEVER used before (I’m looking at you, chorizo), I roasted chickpeas in my broken oven (which set off the fire alarm, #worthit), and—generally speaking—I felt like a badass chef.

My confidence in the kitchen has never been this high.

DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN MAKE BURGERS ON THE STOVE BECAUSE I DID NOT.

The moral of the story: I’ve eaten better home-cooked meals in the past two weeks than I have in all of 2018. Hello Fresh is saving my life right now. Or at the very least—dinnertime. I don’t know how long we’ll keep up our subscription, but for the time being, I feel a lot better about growing this baby with pork tacos and mediterranean couscous than multiple bowls of Kashi Cinnamon Harvest.

If you also find yourself regularly overwhelmed by the whole thing of meal planning / grocery shopping / cooking, you can use this link for $40 off your first order.*

This is my new favorite life hack / wife hack / mom hack. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes!

*Full disclosure: if you sign up with my link, I get a small store credit. Thank you for putting literal food on my family’s table!

Ashlee Gadd is a wife, mother, writer and photographer from Sacramento, California. When she’s not dancing in the kitchen with her two boys, Ashlee loves curling up with a good book, lounging in the sunshine, and making friends on the Internet. She loves writing about everything from motherhood and marriage to friendship and faith.